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Psalms 105

45 verses

TL;DR

Psalm 105 calls the people to praise God, recalls His covenant with Abraham, and recounts the Exodus and its miracles, affirming His faithfulness.

Summary

The psalm opens with an exhortation to give thanks, sing, and glorify the LORD, reminding the people of His wondrous deeds. It then recalls the covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, affirming the promises of land and everlasting commitment. The narrative proceeds to describe the Israelites’ journey from Egypt, highlighting the plagues that struck the Egyptians—darkness, blood, frogs, flies, hail, locusts, and the death of the firstborn—demonstrating God’s power and judgment. The psalm records God’s deliverance of Israel, including the provision of quails, the water from the rock, and the crossing of the Red Sea, as well as the Israelites’ reception of the Promised Land. Throughout, the psalm stresses obedience to God’s statutes, the continuity of His covenant, and invites continued praise.

Outline
  1. Invocation of praise and remembrance of God’s works
  2. Recollection of the covenant and promises to Abrahamic patriarchs
  3. Account of the Exodus: plagues, deliverance, and covenant fulfillment
Themes
Faithful covenantDeliverance through divine powerCall to obedience and worship
Keywords
covenantfaithfulnessdeliveranceplaguesobediencepraiselawgratitude
People
AbrahamIsaacJacobMosesAaronJoseph
Places
CanaanEgyptHamPromised LandDry places
Things
covenantland of Canaanplagues (darkness, blood, frogs, flies, hail, locusts, firstborn)quailswater from the rockfire in the nightstatutes and laws
Key Verses
  • Psalms 105:1: The psalm opens with the central call to worship and gratitude.
  • Psalms 105:8: Affirms God’s covenant and promises to Abraham, linking faithfulness to history.
  • Psalms 105:25: Introduces the plagues that demonstrate God’s judgment against Egypt.
  • Psalms 105:40: Highlights divine provision of quails, illustrating sustenance in wilderness.
  • Psalms 105:45: Closes with the fulfillment of promises and a call to keep statutes.
Questions
  • How does the psalm connect the covenant with the miraculous deliverance of Israel?
  • In what ways does Psalm 105 call the contemporary reader to worship and obedience?
  • What lessons can we draw about God’s judgment and mercy from the descriptions of the plagues?
  • How does the narrative of the Exodus reinforce the themes of covenant and faithfulness?
  • Why is the repetition of the call to give thanks significant in the psalm’s structure?
Sentiment

positive
The psalm expresses praise, gratitude, and affirmation of God’s faithfulness, despite recounting hardships.